Wireless and dLans and making them talk to each other

November 24, 2009 3:14 AM

Please help my computers talk to each other once again. Windows networking question within

I'm trying to set up a home network. Right now I have two laptops, one Vista, one XP, accessing the internet via a Netgear DGN2000 router. So far, so good (apart from occasional baffling connection drop-outs, but that's not the question here).

However, located a short distance away in an outbuilding is an XP desktop. It's too far to run cable to, and the wireless signal no longer reaches it since I moved the router further away. So I've bought a Devolo dLan set up with two plugs. Before I attempt to install this, I wonder if I'm actually going to be able to achieve what I want to do...

The question: if the external XP desktop is accessing the internet via the Devolos plugged in to the router, can I still access this desktop machine from the laptops via wireless? Any help much appreciated, thank you.

posted by jonathanbell to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: As long as they are in the same workgroup you should be able to see the workstation.
posted by smcniven at 4:18 AM on November 24, 2009

Best answer: if the external XP desktop is accessing the internet via the Devolos plugged in to the router, can I still access this desktop machine from the laptops via wireless?

Yep. All these devices communicate via the router, regardless if they are on ethernet, wireless, powerline, tin cans, etc.
posted by damn dirty ape at 6:37 AM on November 24, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks guys - will report back once I overcome the inevitable installation snags...
posted by jonathanbell at 8:16 AM on November 24, 2009

Response by poster: That was surprisingly... easy. Literally a case of plugging in two plugs and now everything works. Many thanks for the reassurances.
posted by jonathanbell at 2:41 AM on November 26, 2009